Mikuriga-ike Onsen
- Location
- Mikuriga-ike, Japan
- Water type
- carbonated, acidic
- Temperature
- 35 °C
- pH
- 2.3
Water profile
Soothing — neither hot nor cold, perfect balance.
Loaded with major ions — the essential minerals (Ca, Mg).
Mineralised water — eases movement and joints.
Mikuriga-ike Onsen is a remarkable Japanese hot spring nestled around the celebrated alpine pond of Mikuriga-ike, perched high in the volcanic Tateyama mountain range. This remote onsen sits within one of Japan's most dramatic highland landscapes, where the surrounding terrain bears the unmistakable marks of geothermal activity. The setting combines raw natural beauty with the ancient Japanese tradition of bathing in waters drawn directly from the earth.
The water emerges with a striking acidity — a pH of 2.3 — and a carbonated character that creates a lively, effervescent sensation against the skin. At 35 °C, the temperature offers a gently warming immersion rather than intense heat, making the soak particularly invigorating in the cool mountain air. Bathers often describe the mild tingle of the carbonation as uniquely refreshing, a contrast with the silent, mist-draped volcanic scenery above the clouds.